6 Things to Do in Fairbanks Alaska (Fall Season)

As mentioned in my previous post, Fairbanks, Alaska, is THE best place for Americans to see the Northern Lights. I went into more detail about this in my previous post while visiting Fairbanks during the Winter. However, you can never get enough once you’ve seen the Northern Lights in person. I had to go back and see them again. This time, we went in the Fall, and it was a totally different experience.

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In this post, I share the Top 6 things to do in Fairbanks, AK, in the Fall while seeing the Northern Lights.

There’s a lot to do in August and September, but you must be mindful of when the Northern Lights will start to show in the sky and when certain roads will close for weather. We were fortunate enough to be there when the Northern Lights were in full effect, with clear skies, and Denali National Park was still accessible by road. We could see the park, among other things, in and around Fairbanks!

Road Trip to Denali National Park

While most visitors go to Denali National Park in the Summer, the Fall (also known as the shoulder season) is still a great time to visit until the snow starts to build up (late September – late October). While buses are no longer operating. We took our rental car and went on a day trip to see the park. You will want to check the National Park Service website for road conditions before you set out. The road to get there is stunning, and we stopped at many places along the way to grab photos of the beautiful scenery.

The Lake House

This first time we went to Fairbanks, we stayed in a Yurt. You can read about that fantastic experience HERE. In September, we opted to stay in a house on the lake in the heart of Fairbanks. Waking up to these stunning views was definitely worth it.

The Crepery

Downtown Fairbanks has lots of fun places to visit and The Crepery does not disappoint. Stop in if you want to enjoy some yummy breakfast or desserts.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) is an oil pipeline that is 800 miles long, stretching across most of Alaska. It has been a critical aspect of the economy and U.S. energy infrastructure for decades since construction began in 1974. There are some areas of the pipeline In Fairbanks where the public can get up close and learn more about how the Alaskan pipeline was constructed and its economic and environmental impact.

Chena Hot Springs

The Chena Hot Springs are located about 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks and are pretty much accessible year-round. If you want to see what the hot springs looked like when I visited during the Winter, you can read about it in 6 Things to Do in Fairbanks, AK, during the Winter.

The Northern Lights

No trip to Fairbanks would be complete without seeing the Aurora Borealis. This time, we ventured off on our own and had two nights of perfectly clear skies. Seeing the lights when the KP Index was at a level 4 or 5+ was absolutely breathtaking.